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Web Series Distribution

1

Agenda1. Lecture: What’s A Web Series? 2. Wrap 3. Assignments

Class Objectives1. Describe the business models and distribution strategies for a web series

2. Understand do-it-yourself television distribution and marketing

Do you watch web series? And if yes, which are your favorites? Do you think they serve an important function which network television series can't emulate?

What is a Web Series?A Web Series is (basically) a television show distributed exclusively, or initially, on the internet out side of the Network, Affiliate, and Cable/Satellite Channel system.

1. Structured in seasons and episodes

2. One episode in a web series is called a webisode

3. A webisode is typically 2 to 30 minutes in length

4. Relatively cheap to produce, although production value should be very good

What is a Web Series?5. Reach a global audience 6. Can be streamed or downloaded as a

podcast 7. Can be viewed on any device connected to

the Internet 8. There are many central destinations,

organized by niches and programming types, much like TV today (lots of channels, no one dominates)

Red vs Blue

http://roosterteeth.com/archive/?id=88&v=more&s=1

Video Game High School

http://www.rocketjump.com/category/vghs#.VTPdRReKlXJ

The show's protagonist, BrianD, gains entry to the school after unwittingly defeating "The Law", an international first-person shooter star, on live television.

The show uses live-action scenes with the characters to show action within the games. The games depicted are inventions of the show, with the first-person shooter depicted named Field of Fire.

Video Game High School (often abbreviated VGHS) is an action comedy web series from Rocket Jump Studios. The series is set in the near future where video gaming elevates its best players to stardom by its position as the world's most popular competitive sport. Video Game High School is an elite and prestigious facility that teaches a curriculum of video games of all genres.

Squaresville

http://youtu.be/Pq8YjE-IvRI

Squaresville: a funny new indie teen web series about growing up in the suburbs with nothing to do.

Each episode is filled with tons of funny, weird characters filled with teen angst, weird hipsters, romance, feminism, and adventure.

It's like Daria, Freaks and Geeks or Ghost World, but as a web series, and featuring the best new indie rock, emo songs, punk, and the best independent music and free web video.

Written and Directed by Matt Enlow

Adult Wednesday Addams

New episodes every Wednesday.

Created by and starring Melissa Hunter

She created the web series and is a writer, actor, producer, and a graduate of the Northwestern University theater program.

www.ItsMelissaHunter.com

http://youtu.be/k0aqPF7eR1Q

Directed by Mike Bernstein - www.HeyMikeBernstein.com

Wednesday has finally moved out of the Addams Manor.

Adult Wednesday AddamsThe show premiered on her YouTube channel last year and has since gained 2 million views and her channel has earned over 60,000 subscribers.

The series has been featured in NYLON, Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, HelloGiggles, the Hairpin and the Bustle, among others.

Last fall, she received an artist grant from the Creative District and launched a successful crowdfunding campaign for Season 2. She just premiered the new 7-episode season.

She is a proud member of a brand new sketch team at Upright Citizen's Brigade

Adult Wednesday Addams

The web series shot to fame recently when an episode about Wednesday Addams getting her revenge on catcallers went viral and earned her international press coverage — enough to catch the attention of the Tee & Charles Addams Foundation, who hold the copyright for the work of American cartoonist Charles Addams.

The decision may be connected to an upcoming reboot of “The Addams Family” as an animated film from MGM, announced last Halloween.

High Maintenance

http://www.helpingyoumaintain.com/episodes

A nameless cannabis dealer delivers to clients with neuroses as diverse as the city they live in.

High Maintenance was created by husband-and-wife team Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair. They produce this (largely self-funded) series in New York with their BFF and manager, Russell Gregory, as Janky Clown Productions.

High MaintenanceThe couple self-financed the first 13 episodes, and gradually garnered a loyal fan base. FX flirted with the idea of turning the series into a more traditional 30-minute sitcom, but when that fell through, Vimeo stepped in to fund six more episodes, as part of the Web video platform's first foray into original programming.

The first three of those installments were released on November 11th, and the next three will follow by early 2015. For the first time, viewers will have to pay to watch — $1.99 per show or $7.99 for the whole six-episode run —but the modest budget allowed Sinclair and Blichfeld to pay their actors, upgrade their cameras, rent locations and hire extras.

"It's an experiment for everybody," says Blichfeld. "It feels uncharted in some ways, and I can't speak for Vimeo, but we don't eye this as something that is going to make us some huge fortune.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/features/the-story-behind-web-weed-series-high-maintenance-20141117

The Mis-Adventures of an Awkward Black Girl

http://www.awkwardblackgirl.com/season-1/episode-1

Rae attended Stanford University and graduated in 2007. As a college student, she made music videos, wrote and directed plays, and created a mock reality series called Dorm Diaries for fun.

It was at Stanford that she met Tracy Oliver, who helped produce Awkward Black Girl and starred on the show as Nina. The two started taking classes together at the New York Film Academy.

After graduation, Rae worked odd jobs and at one point was struggling between business school and law school, but abandoned both ideas when Awkward Black Girl started taking off.

Issa RaeIssa Rae created Awkward Black Girl because she felt the Hollywood stereotypes of African-American women were limiting and she could not relate them.

She has also teamed up with Larry Wilmore to co-write Non-Prophet, an HBO comedy series about the awkward experiences of a contemporary African-American woman, in which she will be starring.

Rae is currently signed with UTA and 3 Arts Entertainment.

Her other shows -- Ratchet Piece Theater, The "F" Word, RoomieLoverFriends, and The Choir -- also focus on African-American experiences that are often not portrayed in the mainstream media.

In 2012, Rae made it to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Entertainment list, and Awkward Black Girl won the Shorty Award for Best Web Show. In 2013, she began working on a pilot for the show I Hate LA Dudes, produced by Shonda Rimes.

Blood Type

Full Sail CRW Grad, Margarette S. E. Smith wrote the first season of the web series Blood Type and has started work on the second season. Here is the link to the trailer: http://www.bloodtypewebseries.com

In the world of the future, humanity has been driven to the brink of extinction by the outbreak of a deadly age-warping virus. But when the virus infects the race of vampires who have secretly existed peacefully alongside humans since the beginning of time, a new master-race is born, forcing a rag-tag band of humans and the last remaining vampires to join forces to protect the one thing that may save them all... the blood of an innocent child.

Think Before You Upload

Web series have their own culture, best practices and nuances. Web series are not “TV light.”

Here are some questions that are critical to ask yourself to achieve success in the digital realm.

Brian Rodda, Indiewire 2014

Who is your audience?

Obviously, this question is not new to the storytelling process -- theater, film and TV practitioners ask themselves this at every turn.

Having a clear vision of who your targeted audience is helps alleviate any stress down the line when it comes time to promote the series (something you, as the creator, will most likely be spearheading), as you'll have an organic list of blogs, news outlets, etc. who are already ripe for your series.

Digital entertainment is about "super-serving" your niche, and you have to be clear about what niche you are serving before moving forward down the creative path.

Brian Rodda, Indiewire 2014

Calling Card? or for "The Fans"?

Where do you want it to wind up? Is industry exposure, and perhaps a new agent, enough? Or are you really looking "long term" at building up a community and audience on YouTube or another platform? One must consider that digital success may not necessarily translate to another medium, at least not right away. So the clearer the intention, the better. Are you making this with mainly industry consideration in mind or are you planning on making your creative home in the digital realm?

Brian Rodda, Indiewire 2014

Which Actors?Cast not only actors who are right for the role, but also ones who move markets

At this stage in the game of online video, there are known and trusted "stars" or weblebrities who have loyal fans and fan bases. Many of them, are looking for new ways to increase their brand, build their audience and express themselves creatively.

While many are not trained actors (and/or they don't consider themselves actors at all), there are several that are. And they can move markets and can singlehandedly take your series to the next level -- especially if your series is right for their audience and fan base.

Brian Rodda, Indiewire 2014

Series or Season?

After you've thought about the WHO and HOW, it behooves the storyteller to think about the length of the story.

Is your story told in five seasons or more? Or is the concept done after only six episodes?

Whatever it is, make sure you think both short term AND long term, before investing thousands of dollars into equipment and locations and craft service.

Marketing Budget?This step is CRITICAL in getting your work seen and having the project do for you what you intended it to do for you and your career.

Even if your budget is under $5k, it is well worth your time to allot $1,500 or more towards the promotion of your series. (The Film Industry spends 33% on their entire budget on PR and Marketing.)

Don't skip this...instead, work with someone, learn from the process, apply it to your current series, and then use those skills on all of your future projects. Don't just think of it as an investment in the series, look at it as an investment in your career.

Brian Rodda, Indiewire 2014

Marketing a Web Series

• Web site

• Audience Building

• The Trailer and Teaser

• Social Media – Blog, Facebook, Twitter

• Distribution Strategy

• Release Windows

• Media Strategy

• Preview Event

Research?

The internet is all about freedom, but remember, "Structure sets you free," so educate yourself on the best practices of digital video production and immerse yourself in its community, culture, and rhythm.

Watch ALOT of Web Series. Not just a Webisode here and there, but whole series.

Discover for yourself what works and what doesn't on the web. Learn from others' mistakes.

Brian Rodda, Indiewire 2014

Fan Participation?

Associating Web Series with words like "Web TV" or "Internet TV" does it a disservice and the way these two mediums are consumed and interacted with are intrinsically different.

The more interactive, engaging and friendly digital content can be, the more successful it will be.

Millennials, in particular, want to connect not only with the character, but the actor behind the character. Thus, creating engaging, interactive and relevant ancillary content can make or break your series.

Brian Rodda, Indiewire 2014

Fan Participation?How will fans interact with and enjoy a show?

Offer varied levels of interactivity:

• Commenting & forums

• character pages

• mini-sodes

• Q&A videos

• behind-the-scenes peeks

• blogs and now even Vines

Brian Rodda, Indiewire 2014

Business Models: Production/Funding

• Solo/Independent - Rack up credit card bills, get friends to work free as crew members.

• Sponsored

• Internet Network

• Vertically Integrated - Own the Internet Network

Business Models: Solo/Independent

Many content creators self-produce the first season to pique interest from marketers, potential sponsors, distribution/network sites or TV networks themselves. Others simply use it as a portfolio item to get work in Hollywood.

Joss Whedon eventually paid for Dr. Horrible with distribution deals and DVD sales; The Guild funded part of its second season through PayPal before its Microsoft/Sprint deal. With rare exception, an independent producer can keep the series by creating its own revenue source; although relying on viewer support is not necessarily the best option.

GEICO Cavemenhttp://youtu.be/e8aj1AlYvxI

http://youtu.be/qqCcSc-se24

Business Models: Sponsored

Cavemen

“Cavemen” revolved around three pre-historic men who must battle prejudice as they attempt to live as normal thirty-somethings in modern San Diego.

It premiered on October 2, 2007 and ran on ABC. In the face of sagging ratings, it was quietly cancelled, airing only 6 of the 13 shows, automatically being the shortest lived ABC sitcom of the season.

http://youtu.be/uhFIijFD9kg

http://youtu.be/2OlYLTZ6fnw

Business Models: Sponsored

Farmed and Dangerous

on YouTube

Business Models: Production/Funding

“Oiling the Food Chain” – February 17, 2014

“Passing the Buck” – February 24, 2014

“Raising the Steaks” – March 3, 2014

“Ends Meat” – March 10, 2014

Production Company: PIRO Vision.

Piro believes that branded entertainment can and should be as engaging as mainstream entertainment. And that brands deserve better value for their entertainment investments than the market is currently offering.

Series Directed by  Timothy David Piper Series Writing Credits  

Mike Dieffenbach (3 episodes, 2014) Jeremy Pikser (4 episodes, 2014) Timothy David Piper (4 episodes, 2014) Daniel M. Rosenberg (4 episodes, 2014)

Distribution

• Mass Distribution

• Network Distribution

• Brand Distribution

• Independent Distribution

Web Series Networks

The Networks: • Babelgum • BWE Network • Blip.tv • Channel 101 • Crackle • CrunchyRoll • Fantasy Web Series

Network • Funny Or Die • Geek & Sundry

• JTS.tv • Machinima • MyDamnChannel • Nerdist • Rocket Jump • Rooster Teeth • SmodCo • Team Four Star • Tello Films • WatchMojo

✦ The following are some suggested distribution channels for distributing a television project on your own.

✦ Branded Web site

✦ YouTube, Vimeo, etc.

✦ VOD

✦ DVD

✦ Purchase airtime from local stations

DIY Series Distribution

Events and FestivalsVidCon (Anaheim CA, July)Playlist Live (Orlando, FL and Secaucus, NJ)Los Angeles Web Series Festival HollyWeb FestivalMelbourne Web Fest (Australia)Chicago Comedy Film FestivalLondon Web FestRome Web Fest

Toronto features a prominent webseries community, with bi-monthly webseries meetups. It is also home to the IWCC-CIWC, or The Independent Web Series Creators of Canada - Créateurs Indépendants de Séries Web du Canada. Wikipedia, 2013

Tangle Web We Watch Blog

http://TangledWebWeWatch.com/

What questions do you have?

41

ASSIGNMENTS:

Research an Indie

Cover Letter Template

Discussion Board 2

READ:

VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY readings & videos

Assignments

Wrap

1.Described the business models and distribution strategies for a web series

2.Understand do-it-yourself television distribution and marketing

Blumenthal, H., & Goodenough, O. (2006). The business of television.

Ulin, J. (2009). The Business of Media Distribution: Monetizing Film, TV

and Video Content in an Online World. Burlington: Focal Press.

New York: Billboard Books.

References